GHNS Illinois Budget (6/26/08)

Thursday

Jun 26, 2008 at 12:01 AMJun 26, 2008 at 12:54 AM

GHNS Illinois Budget (6/26/08)

Here are the top Illinois stories coming today from GateHouse News Service. Stories are available at www.gatehousenewsservice.com. Please check www.gatehousenewsservice.com/regional_news/midwest/illinois/news in the evening for changes to story lineup, including breaking news.

If your paper has a story, digest item, opinion piece or standalone photo to share, please e-mail it to Illinois@gatehousemedia.com.

SPRINGFIELD – Until recently, Charles and Pat Meado of Quincy pulled their 28-foot camper to Colorado at least once year. This summer, they’re camping at Lincoln’s New Salem State Historic Site near Petersburg. By John Reynolds of the State Journal-Register.
http://www.gatehousenewsservice.com/regional_news/midwest/illinois/x1470893169

SPRINGFIELD -- Gov. Rod Blagojevich is scheduled to announce Friday that the Traffic Safety Division of the Illinois Department of Transportation will move to the far southern Illinois town of Harrisburg. By Doug Finke of the State Capitol bureau. http://www.gatehousenewsservice.com/regional_news/midwest/illinois/x2010597774

STATE BRIEFS: News from around the state. POSTED.
http://www.gatehousenewsservice.com/regional_news/midwest/illinois/x222997180

GUN RULING: What does U.S. Supreme Court's ruling today on gun law mean for Illinois? By Doug Finke of the State Capitol bureau.

CALLAHAN: Democratic congressional candidate Colleen Callahan says she has raised about $250,000 in her race to replace retiring U.S. Rep. Ray LaHood in the 18th District. Also, Comptroller Dan Hynes officially endorses Callahan. By Adriana Colindres of the State Capitol bureau.

JUVENILE OFFENDERS: A new report examines how the repeal of a law that had required juvenile drug offenders to go to adult court has worked out. By Adriana Colindres of the State Capitol bureau.

AFSCME mediator search may take time

SPRINGFIELD – The largest state government employee union is heading into uncharted territory, calling in a mediator to help achieve a new contract. By Doug Finke of the State Capitol bureau.
http://www.gatehousenewsservice.com/regional_news/midwest/illinois/x1743982167

Prosecutor: Beaman retrial logical despite high court's decision

SPRINGFIELD – When the Illinois Supreme Court reversed Rockford native Alan Beaman’s murder conviction, it ripped the state’s case against Beaman as an unconstitutional affront to Beaman’s civil rights. But McLean County State’s Attorney William Yoder said he will try to convict Beaman again. By Aaron Chambers of the Rockford Register Star.
http://www.gatehousenewsservice.com/regional_news/midwest/illinois/x2113786399

Veteran hasn’t ever missed homecoming in Chatham

CHATHAM – John Haines hasn’t missed a single Chatham Homecoming since American Legion Post 759 started the celebration 61 years ago. By Amanda Reavy of the State Journal-Register.
http://www.gatehousenewsservice.com/regional_news/midwest/illinois/x1743982164

Teacher earns trip to Israel for Holocaust education work

HERRIN – A Herrin schoolteacher’s campaign against bias is taking her to the Holy Land. Deanna Smillie, a sixth grade teacher at Our Lady of Mount Carmel School in Herrin, has been awarded a trip to Israel by the Anti-Defamation League. By Tom Kane of the Marion Daily Republican.
http://www.gatehousenewsservice.com/regional_news/midwest/illinois/x1470893077

Fund established to help burn victim and her family

PEORIA - Just a day after she went public about her overwhelming pain — both physical and emotional — Valerie Edwards is now filled with hope. Sobs of joy replaced the 50-year-old burn victim’s tears of sadness as she learned Wednesday a local law firm has volunteered to defend her in a wrongful death lawsuit. By Erin Wood of the Peoria Journal Star.
http://www.gatehousenewsservice.com/regional_news/midwest/illinois/x19924840

ILLINOIS BUSINESS
http://www.gatehousenewsservice.com/regional_news/midwest/illinois_business

Central Illinois regional airports on list of industry ‘losers’

SPRINGFIELD – Regional airports such as Springfield, Bloomington, Champaign and Peoria are the most likely losers as major airlines continue to cut back, merge and go out of business as a result of high fuel prices. By Tim Landis of the State Journal-Register.
http://www.gatehousenewsservice.com/regional_news/midwest/illinois/x1346872293

ADM converts soybean processing plant into grain storage facility

TAYLORVILLE – Archer Daniels Midland Co. continues to weigh into the grain-storage business in a big way with the opening of a 5-million-bushel-capacity elevator near Taylorville. By Tim Landis of the State Journal-Register.
http://www.gatehousenewsservice.com/regional_news/midwest/illinois/x415947500

Cat to expand manufacturing in India

PEORIA – Caterpillar Inc. announced Thursday it will invest more than $200 million in its India manufacturing facilities over the next four years to keep up with demand in the Asia-Pacific Region. Peoria Journal Star.
http://www.gatehousenewsservice.com/regional_news/midwest/illinois/x222997016

Ethanol plant owners given conditional approval for production

CANTON – The new owners of an unfinished ethanol plant outside Canton have been given a conditional permit to produce ethanol. By Brenda Rothert of the Peoria Journal Star.
http://www.gatehousenewsservice.com/regional_news/midwest/illinois/x2113786435

SPRINGFIELD – When Lisa Cline told Orville H. Cannedy — who had difficulty even standing following surgery — that he was going to play golf as part of rehab, he had his doubts. By Brian Eason of the State Journal-Register.
http://www.gatehousenewsservice.com/regional_news/midwest/illinois/x379976692

Kicking up the cardio

LOVES PARK – You may not be able to kick someone else’s afterward, but you can kick up to 450 calories off your own tail in an hour with Tosha Jeffries. By Mike DeDoncker of the Rockford Register Star.
http://www.gatehousenewsservice.com/lifestyle/health/x1713649982

BRITT: Toon on the Supreme Court’s gun ruling. Will be posted this evening.

Chuck Sweeny: House speaker takes a turn in stalemate game

Are we finally approaching the Time of Great Deliberations in Springfield? Of course not.
http://www.gatehousenewsservice.com/regional_news/midwest/illinois/x1470893102

Bernard Schoenburg: Governor just not much for contact with state workers

Appearances can mean a lot. Certainly Gov. Rod Blagojevich knows that, or he wouldn’t have a history of getting state-paid TV cameras to focus on him when it helps his cause, whatever that is at the time.
http://www.gatehousenewsservice.com/regional_news/midwest/illinois/x222996977

Dave Bakke: Residents band together to help four-legged neighbor

Good neighbors are always there when one of their own is in need. In this case, they rallied for a neighborhood resident by the name of Woofy, who has four legs, a long tail and is partial to table scraps and treats.
http://www.gatehousenewsservice.com/regional_news/midwest/illinois/x1661040010

Michelle Teheux: Time has come for community gardens – again

I have a fantastic idea whose time, I think, has come again. Why not start some community gardens?
http://www.gatehousenewsservice.com/regional_news/midwest/illinois/x379976615

Editorial: Call special session in bid to fix this mess

Here is the crazy game of chicken we are playing with the Illinois budget: All spring, Gov. Rod Blagojevich pushed a hodge-podge of ideas that would pump new money into the state’s budget. They involved expanding gambling, releasing $530 million from special funds, issuing bonds to relieve the state’s pension debt and passing the $34 billion Illinois Works capital plan. An editorial from the State Journal-Register.
http://www.gatehousenewsservice.com/regional_news/midwest/illinois/x1713650028